There has been considerable media coverage and discussion in recent days following the discovery of children’s remains at the former residential school in Kamloops, B.C.. The discovery has reopened a painful wound for many in our country. It has identified the need for all Canadians to learn more about our…
After his Angelus address June 6, Pope Francis led hundreds of pilgrims and visitors in St. Peter’s Square in a moment of silent prayer for the Indigenous children who died in Canadian residential schools and for their grieving families.
Pope Francis’ new ambassador to Canada has often defended the rights of Indigenous peoples around the world and earlier this year noted they were being hard hit by the ongoing COVID pandemic. The pope has named Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič the new apostolic nuncio to Canada, a position that had been…
Terry O’Neill Canadian Catholic News When the Chief of the Kamloops Indian Band announced on May 27 that researchers had located the remains of 215 children in unmarked graves near the former Kamloops Indian Residential School, she said the discovery confirmed what she and her people had long known, that…
OFFICE OF THE ARCHBISHOP June 4, 2021 Dear Faithful People in Christ, In recent days, the people of Canada have been shaken by the news that what is believed to be the remains of 215 children were found on the grounds of the former Kamloops Indian Residential School. No one,…
The people of the Archdiocese of Edmonton share the deep pain felt by Indigenous Peoples, and indeed all Canadians, arising from the disclosure that what is believed to be the remains of 215 children were found at the former Kamloops Indian Residential School in B.C. The painful legacy of residential…
Dear Parishioners and friends of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, The discovery of the remains of two hundred and fifteen children buried in unmarked graves at the former Kamloops residential school reawakens our hurt, grief and anger at the injustice Indigenous people have suffered in Canada. For those…
We have been working closely with Father Susai of Sacred Heart Church of the First Peoples, which is a National Catholic Parish for indigenous people. Sacred Heart parish elders will be hosting a pipe ceremony – a high honour among First Nations – at 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 3. The ceremony is…
Read MoreVIDEO: Archbishop Smith speaks on Kamloops Residential School site discovery
We will welcome several new priests to the Archdiocese of Edmonton over the next few months. Here’s a list of the 2021 appointments. Names in red signify priests who have arrived most recently; please keep them in your prayers. With gratitude for the work of the Clergy Personnel Committee, we…